Time-controlled lighting system



Sept. 23, 1924.

G. LUSSI TIIB CONTROLLED LIGHTING SYSTEM 2 Sheath-Sheet 1 Filed llay 18 1923 INVENTOR A TTORNEY,

Sept. 23, 1924. 1,509,516

G. LUSSI TIME CONTROLLED LIGHTING SYSTEM I Filed Kay 18 1923 2 Shoots-Shoot 2 4 k 1 g D 01 14 INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

' the mechanism which will Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

UNITED STATES GUSTAVE LUSSI, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

mmn-conrnonnnn LIGHTIN G SYSTEM.

Application filed May 18, 1923. Serial No. 639,786.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAvn LUSSI, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time-Controlled Lighting Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to time controlled lighting systems which are particularly adapted for uses on motor vehicles; the system being so constructed that lamps within it will be automatically lighted at a predetermined time; the system also being under optional manual control; and my improvements are directed particularly to the means whereby these results may be obtained in a simple and eificient manner by the use of not be easily deranged or injured by the movements of a motor vehicle when in use; all of which I will now proceed to point out and explain, referring, in so doing, to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a back View of mechanism embodying my improvements; Fig. 2 is a front View, on a reduced scale; Fig. 3 is an edge view, taken as looking downward and to the left as in the direction of the arrow 3 in Fig. 1, the supports for the switch elements and the tripping mechanism, being omitted, and much of the clock gearing being also omitted, for'clearness; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the triping mechanism, taken as looking to the eft in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 5- is a view of the push button and connections for operating the switch controlling mechanism.

In-all the figures similar parts are designated by similar reference numerals.

The mechanism is assembled on a suitable base or panel 1, which, in automobiles, may be conveniently attachedto the dash panel. Spring terminals 3, 4 are connected with an electric circuit diagrammatically illustrated by line 5, lamps6, 6, line 7, switch 8, line 9, battery 10, and line 11 to terminal 4 A push button 14 serves to open and close the switch 8; and it also reciprocates a rod 15, which slides in the slots 16, 16 in the body of the switch 8. One'end of the rod 15 travels within the looped end 17 of a bell crank 17, 18, carried by a pivot 19, journalled in suitable bearin 20, 20. The arm 18 is pivoted to one en of a rod 21,

the other end of which is pivoted to a latch 22 carried by a pivot pin 23 mounted in a suitable. bracket 24. When, therefore, the push button 14 is pulled out, it will both close the circuit between the lines 7 and 9 and at the same time rock the bell crank 17 18, so as to throw the latch 22 toward and against the end of the terminal 3, as shown in Fig. 4.

On the main shaft 30 of a conventional or other suitable clock, the driving mechanism of which is omitted for clearness, is rotatably mounted a gear wheel 31 meshing with a pinion 32, which is driven by the clock work mechanism. On the under side of this gear Wheel 31 is a cam arm 33, which rides on the cam surface 34 of a gear wheel 35 meshing with a gear wheel 03 mounted upon a shaft 36 in the clock frame, provided with a crown gear 37 meshing with a crown gear 38 on a shaft 39 journalled in suitable supports 40, 41, and carrying a crown gear 42 meshing with a gear 43 on a shaft 44 passing through the panel 1 which is shown as provided with a face late 01 and is also provided with an index ger 45 travelling around a suitable dial 46, marked to correspond with the face of the clock.

By turning the shaft 44 so that the index finger will register with any particular hour on the dial 46, the wheel 35 will be correspondingly rotated so that the cam arm 33 v of the wheel 31, which is preferably carried to rotate once in every twelve hours, will reach the abrupt shoulder of the cam collar on the wheel 35 at a time corresponding with the selected time on the dial 46; and when the cam arm passes the abrupt shoulder of the cam, the wheel 31 will be moved axially toward the wheel 35 by the force of a spring 50, which is fastened at one end to the frame of the clock, and normally presses against the wheel 31 at 51, the other end of the spring'50 being pivoted to the downwardly bent arm of a lever 52, which is pivoted at 53 to the frame of the clock, its free end carryin an insulated terminal 54, which lies below t e end of the terminal 3.

The normal position of the parts is with the cam arm 33 travelling on the flat surface of the complementary cam sleeve, so that the wheel 31 is pushed back against the-spring 50, causing it to rock the end of the arm 52 inward, thereby withdrawing the insulated terminal 54 away from the terminal 3, so as to leave it unsupported. When,

however, the Wheel 31 moves axially toward the wheel 35, the insulated terminal 54 will be pressed against the terminal 3 which nor-' register with a selected hour on the dial 46,

in which position the terminal 54 is withdrawn from the terminal 3 and the light circuit is open. The push button 14 is then pulled out, closing the circuit through the switch 8 and pushing forward the latch 22, so that it lies against the end of the terminal 3, the elastic character of which allows it to yield away from thelatch 22, so as to avoid undue strain. The parts remain in this position until the clock work. has turned the wheel 31 to the hour corresponding with that selected on the dial 46. Then the wheel 31 will slide axially toward the Wheel 35, allowing the spring 50 to rock the lever 52 and throw its insulated terminal against the terminal 3, closing it with 4 and at the same time raising its end so that it will snap over the hook of the latch 22 and will thereby be held in contact with the terminal 4 afterthe terminal '54 has been withdrawn by the action of the wheel 31 against the spring 50, when the cam arm. 33 rides up upon the flat surface of the cam collar. With the parts in this position the light will continue to burn, but it may be controlled by an ordinary dash switch, which can be included in the light circuit, or by the push button 14, which on being pushed in will break the circuit through the switch 8 and at the same time pullback the latch 22 from under the terminal 3, so as to permit 3 to spring back from terminal 4.

It will be understood that the construction that I have illustrated and described is to be regarded as a typical and not as an exclusive illustrationof my invention, for it is obvious that details of construction may .be varied, as by the use of mechanical equivalents and the like without departing from the spirit of my invention as claimed. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In a lighting system, the combination,

with a single electric circuit having two inoaeile to allow them to open.

ally keep the spring connectors closed or to gaps therein, of manually operable means for closing one of said gaps, time measuring means, cooperating selective, time limiting means, and means automatically actuated thereby to close the other of said gaps, the manually controllable means being oper-v able to optionally keep the circuit closed or to allow it to open in two places.

3. In alighting system, the combination, with an electric circuit embracing a normally Separated pair of spring connectors, of manually operable means for closing one part of the circuit, time measuring means, cooperating selective, time limiting means, means automatically actuated thereby to complete the closing of the circuit by closing the spring connectors, and means controlled by the manually operable means to optionally keep the spring connectors closed or 4. In a lighting system, the combination, with an electric circuit of manually operable means for closing one part of the circuit, time measuring means, cooperating selective, time limiting means, means automatically actuated thereby to complete the closing of the circuit, and detent means controlled by the manually operable means to optionally keep the circuit closed or to allow it to open.

5. Ina lighting system, the combination, with an electric circuit embracing a normally separated pair of spring connectors, of manually operable means for closing one part of the circuit, time measuring means, cooperating selective, time limiting means, means automatically actuated thereby to complete the closing of the circuitby closing the spring connectors, and detent means controlled by the manually operable means to optionally keep the spring connectors closed or to allow them to open.

6. In a lighting system, thecombination, with an electric circuit embracing a normally separated pair of spring connectors, of manually operable means for closing one part of the circuit, time measuring means, cooperating selective, time limiting means, meansautomatically actuated thereby to complete the closing of the circuit by closing the spring connectors, and a pivoted latch constituting detent means controlled by the manually operable means to optionallow them to open.

7 In a lighting system, the combination, with an electric circuit of manually operable means for closing one part of the circuit, time measuring means, cooperating selective, time limiting means, means, embodyin a pivoted lever, automatically actuated thereby to complete the closing of the circuit, and means controlled by the manually operable means to optionally keep the circuit closed or to allow it to open.

8. In a lighting system, the combination,

with an electric circuit embracing a normally separated pair of spring connectors, of manually operable means for closing one part of the circuit, time measuring means, co operating selective, t1me limiting means,v

means, embodying a pivoted lever, automatically actuated thereby to complete the closing of the circuit by closing the spring connectors, and means controlled by the manually operable means to optionally keep the spring connectors closed or to allow them to open.

9. In a lightingsystem, the combination, With an electric circuit embodying a normally separated pair of spring connectors,

a detent, manually operable means for clos-- GUSTAVE LUSSI. 

